Environmental Protection Agency OIG

Why We Did This ReportUnder the provisions of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-452), as amended, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General reports to the Congress semiannually on its activities. SummaryThis report summarizes EPA Office of Inspector General...

Summary of FindingsWe found that the EPA lacked robust oversight mechanisms—such as compliance monitoring of EPA-approved labs, of third-party certifiers, and of wood heater manufacturers—to ensure that the Wood Heater Program facilitates compliance with the Clean Air Act. As a result, wood heaters...

Summary of FindingsAs we evaluated the execution of the EPA’s 7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment, or DWINSA, we saw indications that a lack of internal controls may have caused the EPA to base its fiscal year 2023 allotment of $3 billion in IIJA funds for lead service line...

The City of Jackson’s funding for its water system did not address the capacity issues at the O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Plant, leading to chronic problems with operations and maintenance. Various Jackson departments did not effectively communicate the water system’s capacity issues internally...

As of December 2023, the EPA had issued 11 Build America, Buy America Act waivers. We found that the EPA did not track the use of ten of these waivers across EPA-funded infrastructure projects. Build America, Buy America Act waivers can be categorized into two types: project-specific waivers and...

This document provides an update to our plan for oversight of the EPA’s implementation of the IIJA.We have divided this Year 3 oversight plan into three time-based sections that describe planned and ongoing IIJA-related audit and evaluation projects for FY 2024 and beyond. The first section includes...

Why We Did This ReportThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General conducted this evaluation to determine whether the EPA adhered to federal laws, regulations, and EPA guidance pertaining to community engagement standards and practices at the Findett Corp. Superfund Site...

Why We Did This ReportThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General conducted this audit to assess the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board’s compliance with the FY 2023–2024 Inspector General Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 Reporting...

Why We Did This Report We conducted this evaluation to determine whether the EPA’s oversight and implementation of institutional controls will support effective use of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, or IIJA, funding at the American Creosote Works Inc. (Pensacola Plant) Superfund site in...